Office of the Attorney General
New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety
Peter C. Harvey, Attorney General
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 10, 2003
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lee Moore (609) 292-4791
Peter C. Harvey Sworn in as New Jersey Attorney General;
States First African-American AG Sets Strong Public Safety, Civil Rights Agenda
TRENTON — Peter C. Harvey, a former federal prosecutor, was sworn in as New Jersey’s 54th Attorney General today during a public ceremony at the Trenton War Memorial.
Harvey, who was confirmed by an overwhelming majority of the New Jersey Senate on June 16 and is the State’s first African-American Attorney General, was sworn in by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Deborah Poritz before more than 200 friends, colleagues and family.
“I am both honored and humbled to be named the Attorney General for New Jersey. I thank Governor McGreevey for giving me this opportunity to serve the people, and the chance to make a difference,” said Harvey.
As Attorney General, Harvey said he intends to set an ambitious public safety and civil rights agenda. He identified counter-terrorism and domestic security preparedness as top priorities, along with efforts to combat political corruption, street gang activity, drug and weapons trafficking, organized crime, housing discrimination, predatory lending and consumer fraud.
“I want us to accomplish as much as we can, as quickly as we can, to make a difference in the lives of ordinary citizens,” said Harvey. “At the Department of Law and Public Safety, our charge involves everything from fighting crime to preserving civil rights, and from protecting consumers to making our roads and waterways safer. In short, the work we do has the potential to impact on the lives of virtually every New Jerseyan.”
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In his role as Attorney General, Harvey is the State’s chief law enforcement official and legal advisor. In addition, he functions as the chief executive officer of the Department of Law and Public Safety, an agency that comprises 10 divisions and employs approximately 9,000 people.
As a youth, Harvey attended the Chambliss Children’s House in Tuskegee, as well as the Tuskegee Institute High School. A graduate of the Boggs Academy in Keysville, Ga. and Morgan State University in Baltimore, Harvey cited his formative years in Tuskegee as a vital influence in shaping the future direction of his life and career.
“Growing up in Tuskegee in the late 1960s and early 1970s was an extraordinary experience,” said Harvey. “At that time – and perhaps even now – Tuskegee was the center of black intellectual thought in the south. It instilled in many of us the desire to think big, and to pursue new adventures throughout the world.”
While attending Morgan State University, Harvey served as Student Government President for two years during 1978-79. He is a lifetime member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, having pledged at Morgan in 1976, and remains an active supporter. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Morgan in 1979, graduating with honors.
Following his graduation from Morgan, Harvey earned his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law in New York City in 1982. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1984, the District of Columbia Bar in 1985 and the New Jersey Bar in 1989.
For four months prior to being confirmed as New Jersey Attorney General in June, Harvey served as Acting Attorney General. Prior to that, he served for more than a year as First Assistant Attorney General and Director of the Division of Criminal Justice. Previously, he was a partner in the New Jersey law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland and Perretti, where commercial litigation, internal corporate investigations and criminal defense in both the federal and state courts were his primary areas of practice.
Before entering private practice, Harvey served as an Assistant U. S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, where he prosecuted cases involving organized crime, narcotics, bank robbery, credit fraud and child pornography. Prior to that, he served as a Special Assistant to the New Jersey Attorney General, where he was the principal drafter of New Jersey’s assault firearms law.
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Harvey is the son of the late Rev. Raymond F. Harvey and Dr. Lillian Holland Harvey. Rev. Harvey was chaplain of the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Ala., and Pastor of the Greenwood Missionary Baptist Church in Tuskegee. Dr. Harvey was Dean of the Tuskegee Institute School of Nursing, where she established the first baccalaureate degree program for nursing in the State of Alabama.
Harvey and his wife reside in Somerset County, New Jersey. They have three children.
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NJ Department of Law and Public Safety / Office of the Attorney General: Divisions: Alcoholic Beverage Control Civil Rights Consumer Affairs CriminalJustice Elections GamingEnforcement Highway Traffic Safety Law Racing State Police. Other agencies: Office of Counter-Terrorism Executive Commission on Ethical Standards Election Law Enforcement Commission Victimsof Crime Compensation Board Juvenile Justice Commission